Surrey firefighters are trying to determine what caused a dramatic three-alarm fire at Pacific Propane Container Recycling in Bridgeview on Monday afternoon that saw numerous explosions and resulted in extensive road closures.
“We are awaiting our own investigation,” Deputy Fire Chief Mark Griffioen said at press time Tuesday.
“The difficulty with this situation is because of the hazard that propane presents and the distance that propane can be deadly at,” he told the Now-Leader as the fire was raging Monday. “The firefighters are being very defensive and they’re just throwing the water as far as they can and just cooling everything, so it’s not a normal operation in that sense.”
The firefighters gradually cooled the area so they could move in. They were dealing with tanks that were either empty or mostly empty, and more likely to fail from pressure caused by the heat. “There’s a real danger of shrapnel,” Griffioen said. “It’s not like a house fire where you go to the room of origin and snuff it out.”
The fire was in the 13000-block of 116th Avenue, parallel to Highway 17.
Griffioen said “there was a report of a patient with burns.”
“The last thing I heard was they were on their own feet,” he said.
Surrey RCMP say the person was taken to hospital.
Initially Highway 17 was closed in both directions between 128th Street and 117th Avenue, but Surrey RCMP say traffic re-opened to eastbound traffic some time before 3:30 p.m. The intersection of Highway 1 and 176th Street had been closed, that eastbound traffic on Highway 17 was being diverted just before Bridgeview, and that the intersection of Highway 17 and 136th Street was also closed.
Surrey Mounties assisted firefighters with traffic control after it was reported at 1:24 p.m.
#SurreyTMC are adjusting signal timings on City roads to help manage the diverting traffic. Bridgeview Dr is extremely busy from #BCHWY17 to King George. Suggest exiting #BCHWY17 at Old Yale Rd. #SurreyBC ^rm https://t.co/BFqqFjqeOO
— Surrey Traffic (@SurreyTraffic) September 17, 2018
My friend Karen just posted this #Surreybc Fire down in #Bridgeview beside propane recycle place #News1130 pic.twitter.com/1rPUVRlwVt
— becky far (@Beccafar) September 17, 2018
We are on scene assisting Fire Services with a fire in the 13000 blk of 116th Avenue. Hwy 17 is closed in both directions between 128th and 117th Avenue. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/SKONNxikxb
— Surrey RCMP (@SurreyRCMP) September 17, 2018
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